The Space Coast Finalist, The Hurston Family

While the Hurston family was on a charitable relief effort, a pipe burst in an upstairs bathroom, destroying much of their home and personal belongings due to the extensive, undetected flooding. With little money from the insurance company to repair water damage, the Hurstons have been essentially homeless for now over a year. Yet, the Hurstons’ desire to help others has not changed because of their misfortune.

Joe’s piloting skills and Cindy’s nursing skills have helped others during twenty-five years of international relief work. They have instilled in their children the joy and reward of helping others in the local, national and global communities. As a result, the Hurston family truly works together, sacrificing personal time, comfort and safety, to lend a helping hand to local, national and global communities in numerous charitable missions. Juliet, their oldest daughter, rallies her friends to get involved in many of the community projects she spearheads as well.

Their passion is to “provide clean water to a thirsty world.” To support that effort, the Hurstons established “AirMobile Disaster Relief,” a 501(c)(3) non-profit business. Through donations, they manufacture the “Voyager,” a portable water purifier. To support their family, Joe has a toner cartridge refilling company, and Cindy has a small café.
The Hurstons recognize the importance of clean water for healthy and successful survival of a culture. A mission dear to their heart is delivering and installing water purification devices to disaster-ravaged parts of the world. To date, the Hurstons have delivered and installed approximately 660 water purification devices in 38 countries, literally saving thousands of lives.
The Hurstons also use their resources to transport rescue personnel, supplies and administer life-saving aid in U. S. disasters as well. In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Joe found himself in the bittersweet position of providing aid to his hometown, New Orleans. Embodying the phrase “Service with a smile,” the Hurstons have taken in individuals who are in need in their own community — people who are down on their luck and people in recovery from drugs or alcohol. Every Sunday, the family visits an inpatient psychiatric hospital, helping to encourage teens struggling with various issues.
Putting their needs aside, the family continues to help others while they are in desperate need of repairs to their own home. Additionally, the money they need to repair to their donated disaster-relief plane, threaten to hamper their relief efforts.
Courtesy of the Extreme Makeover: Home Edition show, the Hurstons are off on a family vacation at an undisclosed location. Meanwhile, Lifestyle Homes, the Extreme Makeover: Home Edition crew, thousands of volunteers from within the Space Coast community and beyond, will prepare to launch a mission: giving back to the family that’s given so much.